Thursday, February 24, 2011

I find this fascinating...

... a blog I've never heard of is giving Fr. Z quite a run for his money in the Reader's Choice Awards. At any rate, it would be nice for once to have an internet blog award not dominated by the typical set. So Catholic Icing has my vote. Daily.

26 comments:

Catholic Icing is actually a great resource for arts and crafts projects for celebrating the liturgical year with children. She blogs about ideas she and other bloggers have come up with to teach the faith to children using hands on activities.

I haven't read it and because of my state and stage in life I probably won't read Catholic Icing but I did go and vote for it and will continue to do so for the sole reason that it is not punditry and polemic. I'm going to recommend voting for it on my Plurk where all kinds of Zeeites dwell.

Owen, I'm with you 100%. ANYTHING so Father Z doesn't win. He needs to get a life, and I mean that seriously. If he's working on some PhD thing, as they say, you could fool me, since it seems he just sits at his computer all day - or offers mass by himself in his private chapel. If he's such a great and influential priest, then why isn't he with an actual parish? I mean, there's people who'd probably move across the country or world to be members of his parish.

Charlotte, I don't think that's fair. Now, I'm not a big fan of his stuff (really). But, for instance, I write down blogable ideas during the day (and night), and usually sit down at the end of the day, type them up, and schedule them for posting. Could it be that he is doing the same?

Don't care. He does absolutely nothing to stop the nasty, judgemental comments in his commbox that serve to polarize everyone in the Catholic blogosphere.

I have ALWAYS stated that I learn alot from what HE writes on his blog, but his commboxes and his lack of policing them undoes everything he writes about. In fact, since he doesn't generally police them, I assume he actually agrees with what his commenters say and support.

He is supposedly the #1 religious blog in the world for many years running now. As such, he has opened himself up to public criticism and scrutiny. I say this because some will trot out the "never speak ill of a priest" thing, which I would normally agree with. But in this case, no. For all his "brick by brick" campaigning, he simultaneously manages to tear down other Catholics brick-by-brick, in another sense.

I'm no angel and I'm not the most charitable Catholic around, but his blog ought to get some kind of award for "Spirit of Negativity and Divisiveness," despite his claims otherwise.

@Charlotte, for me it's a much for the folks his blog attracts and the ensuing detraction of nearly everyone and everything. As well, the good Father has one many times over. Finally, it would just be nice to see a blog that has something other than Catholic hash & rehash gain recognition - which, I suppose, has happened whether it wins or not.

CJ,Good question, and I have asked the same numerous times. The only straight answer I've ever got is from Terry Nelson, who claims he's working on a PhD (or some other similar project.)

My understanding is that he was ordained in the diocese of Rome, which likely explains why he isn't assigned to a parish. But I don't even know if that's correct? I may be totally wrong.

However, considering that he's in London and New York almost every 3 weeks, I'd question why he's living alone in northern Wisconsin out in the country. (This is assuming that he's constantly travelling in relation to his PhD?) Because if not, then what is he doing? Based on his blog, it appears that he's eating out, drinking pints, and concelebrating at Latin masses during his travels. Which if fine with me as long as all the people who read his blog who chip in for these trips are OK with it.

Charlotte,I agree with you.I think Fr Zuhlsdorf needs our prayers as he seems to struggle with a huge ego and pride problem.

He will write something good about the TLM and orthodox worship then bash someone in the comment box for not completely agreeing with him about every little opinion he has and not kissing his arse every 10 seconds.God bless him.

I believe that most {70%} of commenters on Fr Zuhlsdorf blog seem like good knowledgable Catholics, and the rest is par for the course anyhow.The problem is not so much the pieces that Fr posts,[particularly anything pertaining to the TLM, which is very important] but in much of his commentary which is very insulting at times and mean spirited un Christian at others.It is very hypocritical.In one breath Fr will call for everyone to pray for a good Christian intention, and then all of a sudden he is throwing a fit and calling someone an idiot for, God forbid, disagreeing with him.

Ranter,I understood that, but was swept up on a crest of excitement at being able to say how I really feel about his blog.

You may be right about when he's actually working on his blog, however, the fact that almost every night he's up to past midnight doing live chat with his groupies, with his live webcam on, and his live music DJing being streamed -ALL AT THE SAME TIME- makes me kind of doubt he's burning the midnight oil on books and academic writing.

BTW, the very few times I've listened in on the live music DJ thing, I do admit I've enjoyed his very odd and eclectic mix of music.

How many of you can boast that Father Z accused you of dumbing down his blog? I can, when he whipped out his red pen bemoaning the fact that I responded to some frivolous post on Stephen Colbert while ignoring his gem on St. Jerome. I think sometimes it must be very lonely to be as bright as he is. A lot of times, I have no idea what he's talking about or how to respond. I think he has an amazing intellect. I don't care for some of his politics but I have learned a lot from him and he has been nice enough to post some TLM info I've sent him on his blog.

As for Blog awards, I wouldn't mind voting once, but voting more than that seems a bit over the top, whether it's permitted or not.

See, that's disturbing. You make one stray comment he doesn't like and he comes out with his 24-point red bold font, but he'll let people like "Supertradmum" (formerly known as "Supertradmom") and "CatholicMidwest" froth at the mouth every day, all day in his commboxes, practically taking over for him on the soapbox.

Oh, we don't talk about that anymore. In fact, we don't talk about Jesus Christ or Love anymore on Catholic Blogs.

We seek personal awards, votes, being numero uno, accolades, not crown of thorns.

I have commented elsewhere about Fr. Z penchant for "wanting". He needs all those buttons for a new MAC, and Mystic Monk Coffee will give anyone who sips it diareahh, for a month!

My comment referred to Fr. Z being the source of modern "Indulgences", that long ago fractured the Church. Fr. Z wants to return to that in his own way, and blog, and also be rewarded for it. Buy my stuff and Go to heaven, ....though some catch hell from him.

He is massively combative to contrary opinion.

And by bringing up these observations, the phrase "hurling stones" was hurled at me.

I recommend deleting his RSS feed, and finding a blog that discusses Jesus Christ. My laptop has never been more thankful since that day I said "buh-bye" to Zee Zee and found new blogs that find Christ a priority.

I've read this blog for years, and Jesus shows up now and then. But at Z-world, it is all Summa Summa Summa. Pontificate on that.

And though Little Way finds him brilliant, sadly, Fr Z finds himself brilliant too.Humility is not his calling card.Servanthood is not his strength.Is there anything Christ-like in this guy?

Nice cannonballs on this post.I hope they hit the target.And the questions above on what he does....why is that a mystery?If you ask him on his blog, he will volley a verbal cannonball at you for the audacity of seeking truth.

Z is a menace to Catholicism. True, many who post there are knowledgable about the traditional faith, but few embrace charity. Many are, unfortunately, unemployed,have personal issues and they blog all over the blogosphere all day long to stroke their self-esteem ( My friend is writing an article and has done extensive research on Catholic blogs, esp. his.) His cyberflock is a miserable, unhappy lot, and he surrepticiously feeds on this to his gain. ( Donate buttons, shady coffee deals,egging them on about the lack of the True Mass in their lives,etc.)Most of the time he enflames their orthodox longings and perceived discrimination by telling them that because they don't get the Latin Mass 24/7, they are being treated like "second class citizens at the back of the bus", a pathetic and ridiculously hyperbolic reference to the black US citizens in the 50's. ( Perhaps some of them could use a good hosing down from the fire department and a few bites in the thigh from an aggressive, police-trained German shepherd!Then they would know what it was like to be a second-class citizen shoved to the back of the bus.). I doubt he is a bonafide priest anymore. Ordained in Rome- not working there, but alludes to having worked there in the past. Kicked out, maybe? And now sycophantly- and desperately- trying to get in the Pope's good graces with nicknames ( The Pope of Christian Unity, blah, blah...)But- doing nothing but blogging and jetting around on his kookie cyberflock's donations, a cyberflock that admits longing for the death of the so-called liberal priest ( any cleric over 50!)by the euphemism "biological solution"-a longing for someone's death anyway you ice it...creepy!!!!But like Jim Jones, he wields a demonic cyberpower to encourage them to ( dishonestly)vote for him multiple times so he can garner those awards, which always make a little man feel goooodddddd!!!!

Holy smokes. Wow. What happened here? It seems this comment box was taken the same tone you were condemning of Fr. Z's blog.

I don't police my comments either, though I tend to be less divisive with regards to topics. I hate in fighting within my own religion.

With that...

I think we do need to give the office of the priesthood it's due respect. I am in no position to question another's use of their time. I should be praying right now instead of checking my blog.

Anyway... I didn't mean for this post to be a Z bashing event. I just meant that he wins *everything* and it's nice to see a real blog award [mine doesn't count] go to some one besides the usual suspects.

I am not comfortable with the direction that this comment box is taking.... except to add that Trads are meanies and make Baby Jesus Cry whether they are spreading the vitriol here or on Fr. Z's.

Um, that's just weird, wildly speculative and subjective and equally as ugly as that which Fr.Z is being accused of and equally divisive.

Have to say, I don't truck with quite a lot of what's being said in this combox. Golly, Kat, this went, well, really odd. However, I still stand by what *I've* said above which is simply that I'm tired of pontification and polemics (including that which is now found the anti_Fr.Zism) and that I'm all for seeing a blog that has something other than Catholic hash & rehash gain recognition.